1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to an agricultural harvesting machine.
2. Background of the Invention
During the harvest of agricultural crops on a field, it is common practice for a harvesting machine to deposit harvested crop on a transport vehicle operating alongside of the harvesting machine. The transport vehicle, for example, a tractor with a trailer or a truck, is loaded by means of a discharge arrangement of the harvesting machine. The movable part of the discharge arrangement is also known as an ejection elbow, ejection bow or a transfer arrangement, and is supplied with harvested crop from below by an ejection tower. As a rule, the ejection elbow is fastened to the harvesting machine, free to rotate, about a vertical axis, and can be pivoted between a rest position, in which it is oriented approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the harvesting machine, and an operating position, in which it extends transverse to the direction of operation of the harvesting machine. In addition, the height of the outlet end of the discharge arrangement can be varied, as well as the position of an ejection flap that defines the angle at which the harvested crop is delivered.
In some types of forage harvesters the axis of rotation of the discharge arrangement is not exactly vertical, but is inclined to the rear at a certain angle in order to increase the possible range of rotation of the discharge arrangement without collision with the operator's cab. Thereby in the case of such forage harvesters, the height of the outlet end of the discharge arrangement changes during a rotation of the discharge arrangement about the vertical axis, which is a particular disadvantage with transport vehicles that must be filled from the side, since a manual repositioning of the height of the outlet end of the discharge arrangement may be required after a rotation of the discharge arrangement about the vertical axis.
It has been proposed that the length of the discharge arrangement be varied in order to make it conform to the transport vehicle used and/or to the particular front harvesting attachment. For this purpose the discharge arrangement may be composed of individual sections that can be selected as required or the discharge end is attached so that it can be slid in the longitudinal direction. However, since the extension elements are always arranged downstream of the pivot bearing arrangement of the discharge arrangement, they do not change the orientation of the axis of rotation.
Furthermore, it is known practice to insert separate pivot bearings into the discharge arrangement by means of which the discharge arrangement can be pivoted into a lowered position for operation on public roads. Here, too, the orientation of the vertical or nearly vertical axis of rotation of the discharge arrangement remains constant during the operation.
The problem underlying the invention is seen in the need to define the discharge arrangement of a harvesting machine that can be repositioned by simple means between an inclined orientation of the axis of rotation, that makes a larger range of rotation possible, to a vertical axis of rotation, particularly in order to avoid a repositioning of the height of the discharge end, for the loading of transport vehicles from the side.